The development of coating for skis has been somewhat complex. Thus, for example attempts have been made to optimise, simultaneously, both the gliding properties and the adhesion properties of coatings, which properties appear, at first sight, to be mutually incompatible. Many different factors need to be taken into account. In skis used for long-distance races, the behaviour of the coating when the skier is pushing-off and when climbing have to be considered. In addition, the condition of the snow, which may be wet, dry, icy or powdery, must also be taken into consideration.
In coatings known hitherto, elastomeric materials have largely been used with a proportion of fibre components included therein. In such cases, the basic material of the coating for the running surface of the ski has been formed from a soft material such as an elastomeric material having insert members included therein. The insert members are formed from a harder material such as a thermoplastics material. However, coatings of this type have not produced entirely satisfactory results.